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109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 5 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should act to 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2005 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. CHAFEE, Mrs. 

MURRAY, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. LEAHY, 

Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mrs. BOXER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. AKAKA, and Mr. 

REED) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice 

and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JOINT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States 

should act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Whereas in May 1992, the Senate gave advice and consent 

to the ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with the intent of reducing 

global manmade emissions of greenhouse gases, which 

committed the United States (along with other developed 

countries) to a nonbinding target of containing emissions 

levels at 1990 rates by 2000; 

Whereas the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed by President George Herbert 

Walker Bush and took effect in March 1994; 
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Whereas in December 1997, at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference of the 

parties, the Kyoto Protocol, which set targets for reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions of industrialized 

countries, was established based on principles described 

in the 1992 framework agreement; 

Whereas on February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol will take 

effect, at which time more than 30 industrialized countries will be legally bound to meet quantitative targets for 

reducing or limiting the greenhouse gas emissions of 

those countries, an international carbon trading market 

will be established through an emissions trading program 

(which was originally proposed by the United States and 

enables any industrialized country to buy or sell emissions credits), and the clean development mechanism, 

which provides opportunities to invest in projects in developing countries that limit emissions while promoting 

sustainable development, will begin full operation; 

Whereas 141 nations (including Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, and Russia) have ratified the 

Kyoto Protocol; 

Whereas the United States is the only member of the Group 

of 8 that has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol; 

Whereas, according to the National Academy of Sciences, 

‘‘Greenhouse gases are accumulating in Earth’s atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing surface air 

temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise 

. . . Human-induced warming and associated sea level 

rises are expected to continue through the 21st century.’’; 

Whereas the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency stated that ‘‘Scientists know for certain that 
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human activities are changing the composition of Earth’s 

atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases, like 

carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere since pre-industrial 

times have been well documented. There is no doubt this 

atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human activities.’’; 

Whereas major scientific organizations (including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the 

American Meteorological Society, and the American Geophysical Union) have issued statements acknowledging 

the compelling scientific evidence of human modification 

of climate; 

Whereas in 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

Change estimated that global average temperatures have 

risen by approximately 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past 

century; 

Whereas the report entitled ‘‘Our Changing Planet: The U.S. 

Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 

and 2005’’ states that ‘‘Atmospheric concentrations of 

carbon dioxide and methane have been increasing for 

about two centuries as a result of human activities and 

are now higher than they have been for over 400,000 

years.’’; 

Whereas according to the Arctic climate impact assessment 

published in November 2004, the Arctic is warming almost twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and winter 

temperatures in Alaska have increased approximately 5 

to 7 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years; 

Whereas scientists at the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research in the United Kingdom have estimated that manmade climate change has already doubled 
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the risk of heat waves, such as the heat wave that caused 

more than 15,000 deaths in Europe in 2003; 

Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled 

‘‘Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change’’, held in Exeter, 

England, from February 1, 2005, through February 3, 

2005, predicted that an increase in temperature of 1.8 

degrees Fahrenheit (which could occur within 25 years) 

would cause a decline in food production, water shortages, and a net loss of gross domestic product in some 

developing countries; 

Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled 

‘‘Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change’’ predicted that an 

increase in temperature of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (which 

could occur before 2050) could cause a substantial loss 

of Arctic Sea ice, widespread bleaching of coral reefs, an 

increased frequency of forest fires, and rivers to become 

too warm to support trout and salmon, and, in developing 

countries, would cause an increased risk of hunger, water 

shortages that would affect an additional 1,500,000,000 

people, and significant losses of gross domestic product 

in some countries; 

Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled 

‘‘Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change’’ predicted that an 

increase in temperature of 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (which 

could occur before 2070) would cause irreversible damage 

to the Amazon rainforest, destruction of many coral 

reefs, a rapid increase in hunger, large losses in crop production in certain regions, which could affect as many as 

5,500,000,000 people, and water shortages that would affect an additional 3,000,000,000 people; 

Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled 

‘‘Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change’’ predicted that an 
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increase in temperature of greater than 5.4 degrees 

Fahrenheit (which could occur after 2070) would cause 

certain regions to become unsuitable for food production, 

and have a substantial effect on the global gross domestic 

product; 

Whereas in the United States, multiple mechanisms (including market cap and trade programs) exist to carry out 

mitigation of climate change, sequestration activities in 

agricultural sectors, and development of new technologies 

such as clean coal and hydrogen vehicles; and 

Whereas, because the United States has critical economic and 

other interests in international climate policy, it is in the 

best interest of the United States to play an active role 

in any international discussion on climate policy: Now, 

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. That it is the sense of Congress that the 

4 United States should demonstrate international leadership 

5 and responsibility regarding reducing the health, environ6 mental, and economic risks posed by climate change by— 

7 (1) carrying out reasonable and responsible ac8 tions to ensure significant and meaningful reduc9 tions in emissions of all greenhouse gases; 

10 (2) generating climate-friendly technologies by 

11 enacting and implementing policies and programs to 

12 address all greenhouse gas emissions to promote sus13 tained economic growth; 
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1 (3) participating in international negotiations 

2 under the United Nations Framework Convention on 

3 Climate Change to achieve significant, long-term, 

4 cost-effective reductions in global greenhouse gas 

5 emissions; and 

6 (4) supporting the establishment of a long-term 

7 objective to prevent the global average temperature 

8 from increasing by greater than 3.6 degrees Fahr9 enheit above preindustrial levels. 

10 SEC. 2. The Secretary of State is authorized to and 

11 shall engage in efforts with other Federal agencies to lead 

12 international negotiations to mitigate impacts of global 

13 warning.

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